Latch mechanism



J. LEDWNKA LATCH MECHANISM Jan. 14, 1930.

Filed Jan. 9, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1930.

J. LEDWINKA LATCH MECHANISM Filed Jan. 9, 1926 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR PH LEDWINKH RTTORNEY Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE" JOSEPH LEDWINKA, OF PHILADELPHIA VPENNSYLVANIA, ssIGNoR 'ro EDWARI) G. BUDD MANUFACTURING co., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPOBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA Application filed January My invention is a simplificationof the' type of latch mechanism covered by the applica ton of John P. TarboX Serial No; 68 958, filed November 14, 1925. This filed applca- 5 tion covers an invention which has ;tor its the full width of the door.

object the elimination of apertures and rec esses in* combination with the interlocking device of door latch mechanisms in combination with door windows of substantially The invention embodied the inter-position of a relatively thin. interlocking member between the edge of the window glass or other extensible mem ber and the plane of theinner face, of the jambrail, and in particular embodied the interlockng devce in the 'form of the glass run channel itself. This gl'ass run channel is usually made of sheet, metal of relatively thin-gage whereby the glass is not substantially removed from the plane of the inner face of the jamb rail and in efiect still lies over against it. i i i The simplification achieved by my inVention consists in providing an interlocking member independent, ofthe glass run channel whereby the channel remains fixed in position, and constitutes therefora better guide and a rmer niounting for the extensible member, and' the provision of elonga-ted' special guides is not need'ful; The structure, theretore, becomes cheaper. I cut the glass ru-n channel away or else inwardl'y ofi setlits bottom -to accommodate the inter-looking member so that the body of the glass run channel may still be secured directly' to the inner face of the amb rail; In the accompanyng drawings I show one embodiment of my nventi'on. Of them Figure 1 is ahorizontal' cross section of the jamb rail portion of a door and the associated door posts equpped 'with aljatc'h mechanism according to the combi'nation of my invention, v

Fig. 2 is a sectionalperspective View of the post and the latch keeper. V

Fig, 3 is a similar View of the adjjoinijng section of the door and the outer portion of i tion otthe latch mechanism.

LATCH IvIECH'ANI SM 9; 1926. Serial No. 80,165:

The door is comprised of a j amb rail IO of pressed meta-l having a double Z section, the intermediate arm of which Z' constitutes' the rabbet of the d'oor. The body of the door ra-i-'l or' web i's of but the' single thickness of the metali The outer panelin of the door II is secured to the outer armot the Z section' in the usual way. The inner panel orlock board' 12 has its margin weld'ed or otherwise Secured to the inner arm, of the Z section of the rail.

The doorshuts by its j amb rail 10 against elements carried bythe door post 13' which is in general' of channel crosssecton and in a portion of'its lengt-'hat least, i`s-provided with arabbet .(not shown) conplemental in a general way* to the rabbet f ormedby the intermediate arm of the-Z sectionjambraif of the door; v v

Housed within the body of the lowe'rportion of the door when in lowered position is the window glassor eXtensible member 14.

This is of-'substantially the full width of the door in both its lower and upper portions.

1 16 01: thejamb rail in such'position with respect to'the intermediate arm'ofthe Z section,

' or the rabbet ofthe door'as to form with it the glass'run. channel. The' depth of the angle member and of the intermediate arm or rabbet of; the rail are substantially the same, whereby the depth of the glass run channel representsthe depth of" the opaque projection of this portion of the rail 10'. When the eX-' tensi'ble member is made of such substantial full width and therefore lies over against the b web of the rail', the opaque projection of the' window f'rame oftlle door isa' minimum.

Inside' ofthe eXtensible-member 1-4 is pro- Vided thatiportion of the door latch mechanism which comprehends the sliding latch bolt IS. This latchbolt coa'ctswith the keeper 1:9 secured to the, jamb' face of the post 13.

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' erating lever 21 pivoted on alock plate 22 be- 'low the-bolt by means of a pivotal member 23.

end against the body of the -bolt and at its rear This member 23 also carries a bell crank comprising arms 24 and 25, the former of which extends horizontally toward the jamb rail and the'latter of which extends upwardly into a slot 26 formed in the inner face of the bolt 18 where it bears upon .the rear Wall of the slot. Lever 21 also passes through this slot and lies in the plane of the arm whereby when the lever'21 is rocked about its pivotal member 23 rearwardly the bolt 18 is withdrawn. Bolt 18 is normally projected forwardly into engagement with the keeper'19 by means of aspiral spring 27 housed within a recess 28 formed in the-body of the bolt and hearing at its front end against an ear 29projected into the slot 28 through the 'body of the lock plate 22. Preferably slot 28 i mmunicates with slot 26 and the rear end of slot 26 is inclined in- I wardly and forwardly to accommodate the l door, latch bolt 18 may also be operated from the outside of the door. This is by means of ;an 'outside latch operating mechanism designated generally 32. V This c'omprises a transversely extending horizontally disposed latch Operating spindle.` having a, handle (not shown) on the outside of the door. This spin- ;dle passes throughthe outerpanelll and is appropriately journaled in a U-shaped frame 34 having its bight disposed rearwardly and itsouter arm extended inwardly and'secured 'by any appropriate means tothe inner face' 16 of the janb rail 10. spindle 33 between 'the arms of the U is provdedwith a latch i Operating arm 35 extending *forwardly to the jamb rail. A spiral spring36 surrounding the spindle biases this arm upwardly for the joint purpose, as will be seen, of keeping out lost motion 'and in keeping the latch handlein a defined position;

i i Thisoutside latch operating mechanism 32 is connected With the inside latch Operating mechanism by means ofan interlocking'devicein'the formrof a member 37 tdisp'os'ed between the inside face 16 of 'the jamb rail 10 and the ad'acent edge 15 of the extensible member. 'T e interlocking device 37 isa relati ely thin pressed metal member mounted forvertical recprocaton n shdng engagement with theinner face 16 of rail 10. To accommodate it the glass run channel 17 has the portion opposite the latch mechanism cut away as indicated at 38 in Fig. 3 and Fig. 1 so that the interlocking device may lie flatly against the surface and occupy a vertible minimum of interior space. In the form indicated it is necessary only to cut away the outer branch of the angle member which forms the glass run channel 17 and it is not necessary 'to encroach to any extent upon the felt lining of the glass run channel. The outer wall of the glass run channel holds the member 37 in place on theoutsde; On the-inside the device' 37 passes through slot 39 in the rabbet ofthe door rail and thence inwardly through the entire main body of the door rail by way ofslot 40. Slots 39 and40 may be merged for the purpose of easy assembly if desired. The inner end 41 of this member connects by pin and slot connection 42 with the outer end of arm 24 of bell crank 24-25 of the inside latch operatng mechanism20. The outer end 43 of the interlocking device is bent first real'- Wardly along the outer wall of the channel 17, where it effectsan enlarged sliding hearing surface for the body for itself, and thence out- Wardly where it effects a pin and slot connec-` tion 44 with the 'front end of the arm 35 operable from spindle 33 of the outside latch Operating mechanismi32. The inturned outer arm of the lock plate 34 is also turned rearwardlyto lie against the rearwardly turned portion ofthe inner end43 of the interlocking device and further enlarge and alignthe bear ings provided therefor. Whenever it' is desired to operate the lock from the outside, one has only to operate spine when it 'is desiredto operate the 'latch bolt' from the'inside, one has only to move the operating lever 21rearwardly and the latch bolt isso operated. In this case the operation of the latch* bolt results also in movement of the outside spindle 33, but when the spindle 33 is moved by reason of the independent mount ing of lever 21. and bell crank 24--25 upon the pivotal member 23, lever 21'is not moved.;

Being desired to close the door at any time, one has only, to slam it, in which case bolt 18 is retracted by the inclined surfaces of keeper' 19and ratcheted in place, or if desired, one mayoperate the bolt to opened position, close the door and then release the bolt.

The interlocking device 37 is extremely? cheap to manufacture consisting of asimple stampng of sheet metal. It is entirely independent of the glass run channel 17 and thereby permits that channel to be permanently fixed in place. At the same time due to its form and its mounting, it takes up no more space laterally than does the glass run channel which is to be provided in any event and appropriately lined.

lVhere I have used herein and in the following clams, the expression an eXtensible member of substantially the full width of the body of the door or a similar expression, it has reference more particularly to the relative extent of the door and extensible member or sliding window at the latch side of the door with which my invention is more particularly concerned.

Such embodiments of my invention and other modifications as fall within its generic spirit fall without question within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and useful is:

1. A latch mechanism for an automobile door adapted to have an extensible member of substantially the full width of the body of the door arranged for slidable movement in a run channel on the jamb rail of the door comprising inside and outside latch Operating devices adapted to be mounted on the door on opposite sides of the projected path of movement of said eXtensible member, and an interlocking device between the Operating devices enabling each of them to operate a latch bolt, which interlocking device extends` around the edge of said extensible member, is separate from the run channel therefor, and partakes of movement in the vertical plane. r

2. A latch mechanism for an automobile door adapted to have an extensible member of substantially the full width of the body of the door arranged or slidable movement in a run channel on the jamb rail of the door, comprising inside and outside latch operating devices adapted to be mounted on the door on opposite sides of the projected path of movement of said eXtensible member, and an interlocking device for connecting said operating devices extending around the edge of said extensible member separately from the run channel therefor, and partaking of a sliding vertical movement in its interlocking function.

3. A latch mechanism for an automobile door adapted to have an extensible member of substantially the full width of the body of the door arranged for slidable movement in a run channel upon the jamb rail of the door, comprising inside and outside latch Operating devices adapted to be mounted on the door on opposite sides of the projected path of movement of said eXtensible member, and an interlooking device between the Operating devices 'for enabling the same to operate a latch bolt, said interlocking device comprising a thin sheet metal stamping projecting transversely i of the door in a plane parallel to the plane of the door rail and eXtending around the edge of said extensible member, said interlocking device being separate from said run channel and partaking in its interlocking function of movement in the vertical plane.

4. In combination with an automobile door having a window guide arranged on its jamb rail adapted to accommodate therein a sliding window of substantially the full width of the door, a latch mechanism 'for said door comprising inside and outside lat-ch operating devices mounted on opposite sides of the projected path of movement of said extensible member, and an interlocking device between the Operating devices enabling each of them to operate a latch bolt, said guide having a portion of its body cut away to accommodate the interlocking device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiX my signature.

JOSEPH LEDWINKA.

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